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Wal-Mart Uses Technology To Keep Customer ConnectedSmart Players stay ahead of competitors and keep glued to the needs of their clients  Some of us will remember the day when we introduced "gee whiz" technology into our offices and wondered how on earth we'd put it to work in our business - or even if it would work. Just a few months later, we wondered again how we ever managed to work without it.
Such is the impact of technology-based tools. The story repeats itself time and time again as new generations of business tools are introduced and subsequently replaced by those driving even further improvement. Examples include the electric typewriter, the word processor, the plain paper copier, fax machine and voice mail. While some of the earlier advances gave us the ability to do our work faster and better, it was during the last decade that online connections, including e-mail and the Web, eclipsed the impact of all earlier business tools. The primary reason is the ability to connect us with the world. Once we're connected, we can't be without. Maintaining a company's technology infrastructure has become one of those mission critical areas that's almost as important as heat and light in the building, because without those communication-based technologies running as they should be, you have no business. It's a new mindset, I agree. But smart players, who are committed to staying ahead of their competitors and "glued" to their customers, will accept nothing less. This is one reason why companies that promise and deliver 24/7 service to maintain and keep an organization's technology infrastructure are doing so well. Some will say this is a good reason for eschewing technology altogether - to simply operate without gadgets that might require "care and feeding" that goes beyond plugging it in and turning it on. But those organizations become vulnerable to competitors that embrace technology, especially the tools that take them to new levels of customer service at lower cost. Still doubtful? Consider Wal-Mart's experience. This undisputed king of retail was an early adopter of technology that electronically linked its stores with suppliers. Today a checkout scan automatically signals a replenishment of stock and triggers a payment. Suppliers know what's selling and what's not. Wal-Mart recognized that customers will only come back so often after finding their intended purchase is out of stock. Thoughtful application and maintenance of technology that made the connection beyond the store level was the mission critical requirement that set Wal-Mart apart from the competition. What all this means, of course, is that a new level of care and feeding is needed to keep your technology-enabled business running the way it was intended. Thankfully, service companies that can "take away the pain" are out there to help. David Grant (dgrant@canweb.com) is President of CanWeb Internet Services Ltd., a full-service development firm based in Sarnia.  |
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